Lucky Me
by Californiapoppy5
Summary: Two lonely people meet on one lucky day. After a couple events, their lives forever change. They get to have a second chance to have the life they always wanted. Not everybody believes in luck or fate or some type of other worldly presence that affects the environment around you, but they believe in luck.
1. Chapter 1

**Lucky Me**

Troy Bolton flicked his ashes from his cigarette. His body was sore from the long days work. He got up at five everyday. He took a shower then drank a cup of coffee. He never ate breakfast. It was because he was never hungry in the morning and he always felt like he was running late if he tried to eat. He hated being late.

At 5:50 on the dot, he got to the construction site he was working on. It was houses they've been working on for the past year and a half. He worked for a company that helped design dream houses for people who had the money. He enjoyed what he did and that was all that mattered.

He ate the same thing everyday for lunch. A turkey sandwich, soda, chips and water. He liked the simplicity. It saved him time in the morning to make. After work he'd go to the same liquor store and buy one lotto ticket and one scratcher. The most he ever won was ten bucks but he always had hope he'd hit the mega millions.

Troy pulled out his scratcher, walking back to his truck with the cigarette in his mouth. He scratched it slowly. He dropped his cigarette, stomping it out. He licked his lips before scratching the rest of it off. He won two bucks. He decided to cash it in, feeling a bit lucky.

He cashed it in and got a two dollar scratcher. He walked back outside and leaned against the wall. He scratched it again. Ten bucks. Troy was pleasantly surprised. He cashed it in again, pocketing the ten bucks. He decided to quit while he was ahead. He walked out the store again. He noticed a woman sitting against the wall. She hugged her legs and stared at the car in front of her.

He frowned. "Car trouble?" He asked.

She jumped, flinching at his voice. She looked at him with wide eyes. "What?" She asked, avoiding eye contact.

"Are you having car trouble?" He asked in a quieter voice.

She breathed out. "Piece of shit car plus being broke is a nightmare." She looked back to her car. "I needed an oil change but he didn't have time to do it. I got a new piece of crap car instead." She shivered.

"Do you need any help?" He asked hesitantly.

She shook her head. "No, it's okay." She waved him off. "It's fine, I'm fine." She sighed out. "Actually do you have like a cigarette or something? I'm dying for one."

Troy smiled slightly. He pulled out a pack and handed her one then the lighter. "Here you go."

"Thank you." She said quietly. She put one in her mouth and lit it up. She inhaled deeply and let out a trail of smoke. "Oh thank god." She handed back his lighter. He watched her take another drag.

"Here." Troy said, pulling the ten out of his pocket. "It's not much but it's all I got."

She looked up at him and shook her head. "Oh you don't have to do that."

"Please. I won it from scratchers. Hopefully it'll pass some luck on to you." He placed the money in her hand and she flinched at his touch. "I hope everything works out for the best."

She put the money in her pocket and gave him an empty smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He turned and walked to his truck. He hope she got to wherever she was going safely. He hopped in, turning it on. It rumbled loudly. He watched her for a minute as she got up. He watched her finish her cigarette before walking into the liquor store. He backed out and headed towards home.

* * *

Gabriella Montez wasn't always paranoid. She wasn't always skittish or jumpy. It took two years of hell to get her this bad. She was constantly looking over her shoulder. She was constantly terrified to close her eyes. She hated being in the dark. She hated being touched. It was all her fault.

It started at the end of her junior year of college. She met _him_ at a frat party at UCLA. She got early acceptance. She wanted to be a performer. She lived for the stage in the first 21 years of her life. She referred to it as her old life. Her life before him. She loved to be dressed up in costumes. She loved being anybody but herself. She still hadn't found the ability to act since she left.

She grew up in a broken home. Her mother left shortly after she turned seven. Her father adjusted well to raising a little girl on his own. He remarried shortly before Gabriella graduated high school. She hated the woman he married but she was happy that he was happy. She didn't visit her father often.

Gabriella surprised herself by graduating college with a bachelors degree in fine arts. She got a job a couple weeks before she graduated. She saved all the money she could without _him_ noticing. She loved her job but she just couldn't stay anymore. She got the courage to leave two weeks ago. She had two thousand dollars that she saved up and headed north. She traded her piece of crap Toyota for a piece of crap Honda at a shady dealership in Northern California.

She hoped he wouldn't come after her. She prayed every night he wouldn't find her. She kept driving. She made it to Washington in only two days. She felt it wasn't far enough away so she headed east. When that wasn't enough she headed back south. If he was following her then hopefully she has lead him else where. It took her two weeks to get to Albuquerque spending a couple days in each Midwestern state that she visited.

She was running low on cash. She barely had enough to fill up her tank one last time and for a meal or two. She stopped at a liquor store, in hopes of getting a cheap sandwich for dinner. She got an extra ten bucks instead. Sometimes she forgot that most people were generous. She forgot that most men weren't going to hurt her. She decided to buy a sandwich and try her luck at a scratcher. She won fifty bucks. I guess it was lucky after all.

Gabriella drove out to a secluded area, it looked like it was going to be a suburban neighborhood. She parked her car and leaned her seat back. She pulled her blankets from a bag in the backseat. She closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep.

A tapping on her window woke her up. Her eyes were met with the bright light of the sun. She tried to adjust the quickly. She made a note to park somewhere with shade in the morning. "Excuse me miss." A voice said.

She sat up, suddenly alarmed. She turned to look at the guy. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. Our boss is coming in soon. You might want to head out. I've seen him tow cars before."

She sighed. "Noted."

"Oh, shit. Here he comes." The guy said. "Boss, I was just getting her to move."

She heard the truck stop and a person getting out. She turned to see a familiar face walk over to the car. "It's a safety hazard to be in a construction zone." She recognized him as the man who gave her ten dollars last night at the liquor store. She relaxed a little. Hopefully he wouldn't tow her car. "I can take it from here. You guys get to work. I'll be there in a minute."

"Are you going to tow my car?" Gabriella asked hesitantly.

He stared at her for a minute. She wondered if he recognized her. "Are you living in your car?" She nodded her head slowly then looked down. She bet she looked disgusting. She was embarrassed, mortified even. How did she get into this mess?

* * *

Troy Bolton was in an internal struggle. He didn't know this woman. All he knew is that she was living in her car, from California, and she was running from something. He cleared his throat surprising himself with what he was about to offer. "Do you need a place to stay?"

"Oh, no." The woman blushed. "I'm fine, it's fine."

"I'm sure you need to wash up, maybe do some laundry and sleep in a real bed?" He assumed.

"I can't. I'm fine." She insisted, wrapping her arms around her chest.

Troy licked his lips, looking up at his co workers who were eyeing him curiously. "In case you change your mind, here." He pulled out a pen and searched his pocket for something to write with. He found a receipt and jotted down his address. "Please, If anything happens to you here, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. The spare key is under the mat."

"I can't." She said, looking at the receipt in disbelief. "I can't."

"Please. Make yourself at home." He said. "I have to get to work."

He felt her eyes watching him all the way back to his truck. He hopped in and parked in his regular spot. He looked at the clock. He was fifteen minutes off schedule. Troy frowned to himself and hopped out of the car. He clocked in and automatically got to work.

Troy clocked out at his normal time. He drove his truck over to the liquor store like he did every day. He bought a lotto ticket and a scratcher but wasn't a winner. He stood next to his truck and smoked a cigarette while he planned what to make for dinner. He decided on making steak and stomped out his cigarette, getting back in the truck.

Once he got home he unlocked the door and froze. He smelled strawberries, frowning to himself. He closed the door quietly and walked further into his small apartment. He saw a set of keys on the table and a small pair of converse next to the counter. He made his way to his bedroom and saw a mass of dark hair sprawled across his pillow.

A smile formed on his face. He was glad she stopped and stayed. He grabbed a fresh pair of pajamas and closed himself in his bathroom. He took a quick shower and got dressed. He stepped out of the bathroom putting his dirty clothes away. He noticed she'd gotten up from his bed. He walked out and watched her put clothes from the washer into a bag.

"Aren't you going to dry those?" He asked with a quirked eyebrow.

She jumped, dropping the bag of clothes. "I wanted to leave before you got home."

"You aren't staying for dinner?" He asked softly.

"I shouldn't." She said quickly. "I need to get out on the road."

Troy studied her carefully. "You can stay for dinner, stay the night then head out in the morning?"

"I can't. It's fine." She said, avoiding eye contact.

"I don't want you sleeping in the car. It's not safe." He said. "I hope you like steak." He said, walking into the kitchen.

* * *

Gabriella Montez watched this mystery man walk into his kitchen. _Desperate times call for desperate measures_, she thought to herself. She'd stay the night. If anything seemed off she'd grab her stuff and get in the car and leave. She sighed to herself and picked up the wet clothes and put them into the dryer. She put the bag by the dryer and walked into the kitchen.

"I don't have any money to pay you back." She said softly.

"I'm not asking for your money." He said, pulling ingredients out of the fridge. "I don't have any money to give you either. As you can see there's not much to steal."

"I'm not a thief." She said softly. "I'm just… desperate."

"Everybody needs help sometimes." He said with a shrug.

"You're not going to ask me where I'm from?" She asked in disbelief.

He shook his head. "No, It's none of my business. If you wanted me to know, I'm sure you'd share it with me."

"You don't even know my name."

He gave her a half smile. "What is your name?"

Gabriella sighed. She knew she should have kept her mouth shut. "Gabriella. Gabriella Montez."

"Pretty." She watched him in disbelief. "How do you like your steak cooked?"

"Medium well." She said softly. "But I'm in no condition-"

He quirked an eyebrow at her causing her to close her mouth immediately. "My name is Troy Bolton. I lived in Albuquerque all my life. I'm 25 and do construction. I've never been married, don't have any kids. My parents passed away when I was younger, only child. I'm not going to hurt you, so please, try to relax."

Gabriella was taken back by his rant. She didn't know what to say. She felt a little hurt but she was over sensitive, one of her many flaws. _He_ hated when she was being too sensitive. "I'm sorry." She said, wrapping her arms around her self. She took a step away from him. "I can help you, if you need help."

"I'd love some help." Troy said, glancing over at her. "Pick something you want to eat with steak. The pantry is to your left."

"Anything?" She asked.

"Whatever you like." He assured.

Gabriella looked through the cabinet and a blue box caught her eye. Her mouth watered. She couldn't remember the last time she had a home cooked meal. She grabbed the box of macaroni and cheese. "Is this okay?"

He glanced at the box. "You might want to grab two. I can eat a whole box by myself."

She nodded giving him a ghost of a smile. She turned and grabbed another box. He got her a pot and she started filling it up with water for their macaroni. "Why are you being so nice?" She asked hesitantly.

He stared at her for a moment. "Like I said before. Everyone needs help sometimes. I'd rather have you sleep safely here than at my construction site." Troy said simply, causing Gabriella to sigh quietly.

* * *

**This is the new story, Lucky Me. I know these kinds of stories are cheesy and overdone but i wanted to put my own spin on one. LM is a working title. I don't know if i like it yet. When i was writing this, i did it weirdly. That's why the POV changes after a line break beginning with a paragraph with their name. It gets shortened to Troy and Gabriella later on. Um... if you read Coparenting, i'm definately going to write some M rated chapters for it. I don't know if i am going to turn the next chapters that i write into a sequel or just bump co-parenting to M. Still figuring that out. Hope y'all enjoy this story. Tell me what you think in a review. Love y'all. Don'tforgettoreview**


	2. Chapter 2

Troy watched her push the macaroni around her plate. "Is there something wrong?"

"No." She said with a slight laugh. "For once there's not something wrong."

"You can eat as much as you want. I'm not one to judge." Troy said.

Gabriella shook her head. "It's nothing like that… It's just…"

"You don't have to tell me anything." He assured her.

"I haven't had macaroni and cheese since I was a kid. My dad always made it for me before the new wife came along." She said softly. "He put the canned chicken in it, you know, the one to make chicken salad? I thought it was disgusting."

Troy watched her talk. He smiled to himself as she looked down at her plate. "I hate chicken salad."

"Me too. Anything with mayo." She said. "Or mustard. I was a picky child, still am pretty picky. I hate it."

"I eat anything and everything… except chicken salad. I got food poisoning once. It ruined it forever." He explained. "Are you done?" He asked, taking a drink of his water.

She sighed. "I don't know. I want to eat but I don't want to eat. But then I just want to cry. I'm trying not to be completely rude, even though I over welcomed my stay. I just-" She covered her face in her palms and took a deep breath.

"You don't have to-" He stopped himself. "I was just asking…" He said slowly.

"I'm sorry." She said, looking up at him. Tears were brimming her eyes. "I'm so sorry."

Troy reached over hesitantly, putting his fingertips on top of hers. "Please, don't be sorry. It's not your fault. None of this is your fault. I'll put your plate in the fridge in case you want to eat a little later. You can warm it up in the microwave. For now, you can lay down?"

She bit her quivering lip and nodded. "Okay." She said quietly. "Thank you."

He got up and walked her to his room. He grabbed her another blanket and laid it on top of her as she laid down on his bed. "If you need anything, I'll be on the couch." He gave her a small smile and closed the door behind him.

He let out a breath that he was holding and started to put away dinner. He put her plate in the fridge along with the leftovers. He washed the dishes, leaving them out to dry. He turned after he dried his hands and headed straight for the closet.

Troy grabbed a pillow and a spare blanket. He turned off the lights around the house and laid the blankets on the couch. He turned the alarm on his phone on and laid across the couch. He propped his head against the pillow and closed his eyes. His mind was active while his body was tired.

He thought about what he remembered about his parents, which wasn't much. He thought about his Grandmother- the one person who never gave up on him. When she passed away a couple years ago, it just sucked the life out of him. He missed her. His grandmother was his only friend in multiple times in his life. The boys in his grade usually made fun of him for being quiet and being a grandmas' boy. He'd had too much go wrong in his life to worry about the boys he'd never talk to after graduation.

Troy heard his bedroom door open and he sat up. He watched her walk over to him, the blanket wrapped around her. "Can I sit out here with you?" She asked quietly. He nodded his head, scooting over.

* * *

Gabriella hugged herself and the blanket around her. She found that she felt more at ease with Troy then she did alone. She hated the thoughts that crept up on her when she was alone. She sat down on the couch and hugged her knees. "Troy?"

"Yeah?" He asked tiredly.

"Do you have to work tomorrow?"

"Yes." He murmured. She looked over at him. He looked exhausted. He was leaning his head against his closed fist.

"You know you can sleep in your own bedroom." She said quietly.

He just shrugged. "I'd rather you be comfortable."

"A couch is already a big step from the seat of a car." She said. He hummed in response. "I saw a stack of old lotto tickets sitting on you dresser."

"You never know when you get lucky."

"Do you dream about what you would do if you won?" She asked quietly.

Troy sat up and looking up at her. "All the time."

"What would you do if you won?"

He cleared his throat. "It changes all the time. I don't have much family or any friends really. I'd probably invest it in the company I work for. Split it up so I don't have the urge to spend it all at once. I'd probably buy a small house. I'd probably give more than half of it to Charity."

"That's what I'd do. Give a lot to charity. I'd give out scholarships so children can get educations. That would be after I fake my own death and get a new identity." Troy let out a small laugh. "In my old life, when I thought about it, I'd always say I'd give this much to this person and this much to this person. I have no one left in my corner from my old life."

"Maybe it's time to make new friends?" He offered. "Ones who won't leave your corner."

She just shrugged. "Maybe."

"Do you have many friends?"

He laughed quietly. "No. I'm… very introverted. I have coworkers that I trust with my life but I don't hang out with many of them out of work."

"I was very outgoing." She said quietly, staring at the television. "I wanted to be a performer. I wanted to sing and dance and act. I lived on stage before-" She cut her self off. "In my old life." She hugged herself, hoped she hadn't revealed too much.

He smiled. "I'd love to see that. I bet you were great."

She smiled slightly. "I thought I was."

"I'm sure you were." He murmured. She sighed to herself. There were so many things she wished she could do over. She leaned her head hesitantly on his shoulder. It took a minute for her to relax and close her eyes.

* * *

Troy heard an irritating beeping coming from his cell phone. He tried to shift but felt something solid on his shoulder. He was a little confused but he opened one eye and saw a mass of brown curls resting on his shoulder. He didn't know how he was going to move with out waking her up. He reached over for his phone but she sat up instantly.

"Please don't hurt me." She said, breathlessly. She curled up in a ball with an unmistakable look of fear in her wide eyes.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He said quietly before he was interrupted by the annoying beeping of his alarm. He grabbed his phone and turned it off. "I have to get ready for work." He said. He saw her shaking from where he was sitting. She just nodded. "Are you going to be okay while I'm at work?"

"I'm going to get out of your hair after I collect my stuff."

"You can stay as long as you need to, Gabriella. You aren't bothering me any, I promise." He said, stretching his back out. It wasn't sore like he thought it would be. He got up. "I'll get in the shower then I'll make us some breakfast."

"I'll make breakfast, you can shower." She said, getting up.

"I'll be right out." He said with a nod.

He got dressed after he got out of the shower. He sniffed the air smelling bacon. He looked at the time, deciding he can afford to be a little late if he took too long to eat. He walked out of his room and poured himself a cup of coffee. He watched her put dishes in the sink.

"You can leave them, I'll do them when I get home." Troy said, taking a sip of his hot coffee. "Coffee?"

"Sure." She said quietly. He poured her a cup and placed it in front of her. "It's done." She handed him a plate and they sat down at the table. "What are you working on at work?"

He took a sip of his coffee before he answered. "A housing community. The land was just sitting there and the state of New Mexico pared up with a company that builds dream homes. Each individual home is custom built."

She smiled fondly. "I wish I had a custom built house. You mostly see apartment now a days."

"I guess that's why I enjoy making houses. I hate apartments. They're very… impersonal. It only makes sense I live in one." Troy joked.

"Apartments are all over California. That's why the schools are overfilled and it's hard to find a job. Northern California is full of people that are coming in from different countries for all the tech jobs. You'd think they'd have better schools so we can hire people who need work here." She said before putting her fork in her mouth.

"I don't think I could ever live in California. It always sounds busy." He murmured. "Albuquerque is one of the two biggest cities in New Mexico but I'm sure it's a whole different world from California."

"Oh yeah." She agreed. "I think I like it here."

"Are you going to stay?" He asked, hopefully.

She sighed. "I don't know. I don't know if I should stay or keep going."

"If you keep running you're going to wear yourself dry. All you're going to have is a broken heart and a broken down car." He said with a small shrug. "If you decide to stay, my door is always open."

* * *

**Surprise chapter because I finally heard from the third school i applied to. I'm officially going to go to Arizona! I'm so excited and scared and nervous. All the feels rushing around me. lol. Y'all are amazing. I really can't say that enough. I hope this story lives up to y'alls expectations. Thanks for reading. don'tforgettoreview**


	3. Chapter 3

Gabriella said goodbye to Troy as he left for work. She felt a little weird in his house all alone but she was happy to be out of her car. She walked back to the kitchen deciding to wash the dishes. She washed each dirty dish carefully before she put them out to dry. She put away the dry dishes from the night before.

The phone on the wall caught her eye. She wondered if she called anyone back home if they would miss her. They probably wouldn't. She walked over to it anyway and picked it up. She heard the dial tone before she hung it up. She took a deep breath.

She picked it up again, dialing a familiar number after blocking Troy's. She took another deep, calming breath as she waited for someone to pick up the phone. "Steve Montez."

She sucked in a breath. "Hi daddy."

"Gabi?" Her father asked. "Gabi, where have you been? Michael has been calling me off the hook wondering where you are."

"I left him." She said quietly. "I left California."

"Where are you?" He asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine now, dad. I just need you to know that I'm somewhere safe and far away from Michael."

"Why? What's wrong with Michael?"

She closed her eyes. "Dad, he-" She stopped herself closing he eyes.

"He what, Gabriella?"

She let out a shaky breath. "He's been- Look, dad. It doesn't matter. I don't love him. I don't want to be around him and most importantly, I don't want him to find me. Don't tell him you've spoken to me. I just wanted to let you know that I'm okay, not that you care."

"Hey, that is not fair. You're the one that moved out."

"How could I not? You married Naomi and-"

"I thought you liked Naomi." Her father interrupted.

"I hate Naomi, dad. Not because she took you away from me but because she is a complete bitch. She hates me. She never wanted me around then I started dating the spawn of Satan." She hugged herself and sighed. "Look, you never even realized how I felt. I have to go, bye dad."

"Gabriella, wait."

She hung up on her father and put Troy's phone back on the hook. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes. She immediately looked around his apartment for something to do. She decided on finishing her laundry. After she was finished with laundry, she cried herself to sleep. She woke up and took a shower and decided to pack her things up.

She piled her things by the door and froze when the door suddenly opened. "Gabriella?" Troy called out before noticing her. He looked wide eyed, different from what he normally looked like. She looked at him confused. "I won." He said breathlessly. "I won the lottery."

"What?" She asked, dumbfounded. She couldn't believe it.

* * *

Troy Bolton was having the weirdest day of his life. First, he woke up with Gabriella sleeping on his shoulder. He hadn't had a woman in his apartment, well ever. Then he gets to work on time even though he left five minutes late. He didn't pack his lunch but thankfully the big boss bought everybody lunch.

After work he goes to his usual liquor store. He bought a scratcher and a lotto ticket. Every Friday he checked to see if any ticket he bought throughout the week was a winner. One of them was. He had to go down to the lottery headquarters before it closed.

Troy shook his head. "I won the lottery." He said more slowly. "I won 8.4 million dollars."

Gabriella still hadn't said anything. "Oh my god." She said, sitting down on the couch.

"I can't-" He stopped. He couldn't even form words. "I think I'm going to throw up."

"How- What- Eight point four million dollars?" She said.

"It was from that day." He said. She looked up at him. He did look a little green and a little pale. "The day that I met you. That lucky day."

"Oh my god."

"I'll be right back." He said, walking into the bathroom. He slid down the wall in front of his toilet. He didn't know what else to do. The people at the lottery head quarters just congratulated him and said the first check will be available in two weeks. He said he didn't want his name and his face in the paper.

"Troy?" There was a soft knock on his door.

"Hold on."

"I just wanted to say bye before I left." Gabriella said.

"What?" He asked, getting up quickly. "I thought you were staying for a while?" He asked with a frown, opening the door

She shrugged, shaking her head. "I don't know. I just- I called my dad and it just reminded me of how everybody doesn't want me around. I just need to drive, try to get out of my head."

"I want you around." He said, leaning against the wall.

She gave him a half smile. "You have this and all these people around going to want to be around you and you won't want to be around me too. I just-" The tears welled up in her eyes. "I don't want to be alive anymore."

He frowned instantly. "Gabriella, don't. I want you around. I do. You don't know how nice it was to actually talk to someone other than my co-workers today. I can get you your own place. I just don't want you to go, please."

"Troy." She said softly. She touched his cheek with her shaking hand. "I can't take any more from you, Troy."

He let out a breath of air. "You're beautiful."

She looked at him, her eyes widening. "Please, don't. I'm not. You've known me for two days, Troy."

"God, I don't care. I'll make sure whoever you're getting away from will never find you. Promise."

* * *

Gabriella paced in front of her car for the last ten minutes. Her conversation with Troy was replaying in her head. Was she crazy? She thought she was out of her mind. Was staying with this man who just helped her out of the kindness of his heart the right thing to do? Sure she felt like she owed him but she didn't feel obligated to stay. He seemed to really want her to.

If she stayed, would he think he was after his money? She took a seat on the hood of her car. She'd love a cigarette right now. She looked up and saw Troy, walking over to her with a pack in his hand. He handed her one. He put one in his mouth and lit it. He held his lighter out to her.

"I'm sorry." She said, taking the lighter. "I just have a lot of issues."

He nodded. "So do I. I'm sorry for trying to pressure you to stay. It's just nice to have someone sometimes, you know?"

She nodded, lighting her cigarette. "I'm just so lost with everything. I lost myself a long time ago and I don't know who I am. I don't know how to become a person that I want to be."

"I know how you feel. That's how I felt when my grandma died. I was devastated. She was my best friend. She raised me when my parents died. When she was gone too, I was in a really dark place." He shared, taking a drag of his cigarette.

"My mom left when I was little. My dad raised me for the most part. When he got remarried, I felt like I didn't belong with him anymore. I decided to live with my friend Taylor for all of senior year. I got into UCLA, Taylor got into Harvard. I worked my way through college at Disney. I met him at school. We got too serious too quickly. We were completely different people and I was lonely…" Gabriella trailed off.

"You don't have to tell me anything Gabriella." Troy said, taking a seat next to her. "I don't need you to tell me anything you feel uncomfortable with."

"He hit me, a lot." She said quietly. "He tried to keep me home all the time. He barely let me talk to anybody. He threatened to kill me if I ever left." She swallowed thickly. "I'm so afraid he'll find me. It's been two weeks and I feel like he's always just around a corner waiting for me."

"I'll never hurt you, Gabriella."

"He said he'd never hurt me either. He'd always say it was the last time."

Troy sighed. "I can't make you stay Gabriella. I want you to feel safe. If you don't feel safe here then I'll try my best to protect you. If you don't want to stay then there's nothing else I can do."

"I'm scared."

"I know you are."

"I don't know what to do."

"If you need anything, you know where I live."

"Why are you so nice to me?"

Troy turned to look at her. He gave her a small smile. "I have this weird feeling that you're my good luck charm."

She let out a laugh. "That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." She took a drag of her cigarette. She forgot how good it felt to laugh.

* * *

Troy sat with her on the hood of her car, smoking their cigarettes. He wanted to forget everything tonight. He never got the chance when he was alone. He always just went through the same motions every single day. He looked over at the beautiful, broken girl and so desperately wanted her to stay. "Let's go out for dinner. Let's go to some fancy restaurant and order something over priced."

"Are you sure?" She asked, looking over at him.

"I'm a millionaire." He said with a small smile. "Let's go. Let's forget everything bad that has happened to us and let's have a good night. What do you say?"

"I say that I can't say no to that." She said with a soft smile. She slid off the hood and stomped out her cigarette. She held out her hand. "It's freezing out here."

He placed him palm inside hers before he slid off the car. He stomped out his cigarette and walked back with her to his apartment. Their hands were cupped around each others awkwardly. Gabriella shifted, sliding her fingers into the spaces between his. Troy went straight to the shower while Gabriella got herself ready.

He stepped out of the shower, he heard Gabriella rummaging around his room. He looked around and realized he forgot his clothes. "Um, Gabriella." He called out. He wrapped the towel tightly around his waist. He opened the door partially and poked his head through the opening.

"Yeah?" She asked, turning around to look at him. She had red lipstick smeared perfectly across her lips.

"Can you hand me my clothes?" He asked, eyeing her. Her dress was red and short and matched her lips. Her hair was long and curly and beautiful.

"I'll just get out of your way." She said, turning around. She grabbed her things from the dresser in front of the big mirror on the wall. "Let me just-"

"I didn't want to drip on the carpet." He said, "I'll get them. You stay here."

"Oh, god. I'm so awkward. I don't even know how to talk to people anymore." She said, putting her things down. She picked up is clothes and handed them over to him.

Troy smiled. She was cute. She handed him his clothes and he thanked her with a smile. He closed the door and got dressed. He combed his hair back before walking out of the bathroom. She was still standing in front of the mirror. "How do I look?" He asked.

She turned around to get a good look at him. "You look very handsome."

"And you look absolutely breathtaking." He said, getting a closer look at her. "Are you ready to go make fools of ourselves?"

"Oh, you mean a normal day?'

Troy laughed, shaking his head slightly. He brushed a curl behind her ear. "Where do you want to eat?"

She shrugged. "I don't know what's around. You lived here all your life."

"I never go out to eat." He said with a frown. "How about we play roulette?"

Gabriella smiled at him before she laughed quietly. "I think you have a gambling problem, Troy Bolton."

Troy laughed, nodding in agreement. "I wouldn't doubt it."

* * *

Just because. :) Dontforgettoreview.


	4. Chapter 4

Gabriella got into the truck and sat back comfortably. She watched as Troy got in the front seat and put the key in the ignition. She hooked her seatbelt and watched him as he drove. She wanted to remember his face forever. She wanted to remember him and his kindness for the rest of her life. She hoped they could be life long friends.

"I can feel you staring at me." Troy said, glancing over at her.

She looked away, blushing. "Sorry. I'm just making sure I remember you."

"Why do you say it like that? Like you're about to vanish into thin air?"

"I just might." She said with a small smile. "God, that would be great. I need to get out of the country or something. An ocean isn't even far enough away."

"I don't think he'll find you, Gabriella." Troy said softly. "I'll make sure he never finds you."

Gabriella rubbed his shoulder gently. "I appreciate that, but this isn't your problem Troy. I want to be able to take care of myself."

He sighed. "Can you stay here?"

"Not that I'm complaining but why do you want me to stay so bad?"

Troy shrugged. "You're the closest thing I've had to a friend in a long time."

"If I'll leave, I'll come back." She reasoned. He sighed in response and kept driving. "It's nothing personal."

"I know it's not." He said softly. He sulked for a minute before he put a smile on his face. "This is supposed to be a happy outing, remember? Let's be normal."

Gabriella snorted. "We are far from normal."

"Well you can use all your performance training for this." He said, glancing at her.

She looked out the window. "Maybe."

Troy parked in front of a restaurant they've never been to. She felt very out of place. She never went to fancy restaurants in LA but she imagined they looked a lot like this. They got seated and ordered drinks. She was attempting to read the menu, which was in Italian. She blushed, embarrassed, because she couldn't even read the menu.

"What the hell is this language?" Troy asked loud enough for Gabriella to hear.

She giggled. "It's Italian, I think. I can't read it either."

"How are we going to know what to order?" He asked. She watched as he flipped through the thick book.

"English!" He said excitedly. "I think I found the English version."

"What page?" She asked, looking through her own.

He reached over and flipped it to the right page. "Thank god, we might have had to go to McDonalds." He said taking a sip of his water.

"We're so uncultured." She muttered. Troy chuckled aloud, looking down at his menu.

* * *

Troy let out an embarrassingly loud laugh as Gabriella snorted. The whole restaurant was looking at them but after three bottles of wine, they didn't care. They were feeling fuzzy and great and ready to conquer the world. He tried to calm his laughter as he asked for the check. He paid with his credit card and they walked out to his truck.

"You shouldn't be driving." Gabriella said, putting the tailgate down on his truck. She hopped on.

"You shouldn't be driving either." Troy said, doing the same. He pulled out two cigarettes and handed her one. "I need to buy you a couple packs of cigarettes so you stop smoking mine." Troy said, putting his between his lips.

She lit her cigarette with the flame he was lighting his own. She took a large drag before she blew out the smoke. "Do you have cabs in Albuquerque?"

"I'm sure we do. I never needed one." Troy murmured.

"You're a homebody aren't you?"

Troy shrugged. "Not much to do when you have no friends."

"Why don't you go make friends?"

"What do you think I'm doing now?" He asked with a teasing smile. He brought the cigarette to his lips again. "I'm not good with people. When my parents died, I closed myself off from everyone. My best friend Chad was around for a while but he left too."

"People suck."

Troy laughed. "They really do!" He took another drag. "My family was fucked up before my parents died. My grandpa abused my grandma and my dad. He was on some kind off crack or heroin. He overdosed before my dad got out of high school. My grandma was the greatest person I've ever met. You kind of remind me of her."

Gabriella sat quietly, smoking. "He used crack cocaine and crystal meth. He never even told me what fucked him up so bad. He just got high, used me, and cried himself to sleep. He had a lot of nightmares. I always consoled him. He told me he needed me so I stayed."

"Sometimes I just don't want to live alone." He said, tossing his cigarette. He laid back on the truck bed and sighed. "It's hard to keep motivated."

"I want to be isolated. Until I met you, I gave up hope on people." She said with a sigh.

"You're stronger then you give yourself credit." He murmured.

She shrugged. "Sometimes. Sometimes I'm a push over, I'm soft. People step all over me because I let them. They don't even like me, ya know? Nobody can hate me more than I hate me." She curled herself up.

"I don't hate you." Troy said, sitting up. "Your eyes remind me of the wallpaper in the Italian restaurant." He stared at her closer. "The word rustic comes to mind. Beautiful. They had so much history but so many secrets. Sad but happy."

She narrowed her eyes. "How do you get that just from my eyes?"

"It's just that you're so beautiful." He said reaching over to touch her cheek. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes, breathing out softly.

* * *

Gabriella moaned at the small pulsing in her head. She felt someone solid behind her. Panic struck her, making her forget about the headache. She scrambled out of bed and fell to the floor, curling up against the wall hugging her knees. She let out a soft breath of relief when she saw Troy turn onto his back, without even waking up. He let out a soft snore, placing his large palm against his chest.

She closed her eyes for a moment and the pulsing was back. She struggled to get herself up and into the kitchen. Her socked feet walked silently to the coffee pot. She turned it on and leaned her head up against the coolness of the counter. She didn't remember getting home or putting pajama pants, socks, or Troy's shirt on.

She lifted her head up and walked to his refrigerator. She pulled out milk before closing it back up. She looked around his cabinets for a bowl. She found a bowl and pulled down the cheerios, opening the box and taste testing a couple. They were still good. She poured the cereal into her bowl then closed up the box, putting it in it's place. She poured some milk in the bowl and grabbed a spoon. She pulled down a coffee cup and poured some in along with more milk. She put the milk away and sat at the table eating her cereal.

She glanced out the window and noticed the clouds looming overhead. She wondered if they'd get the first rain of the season today. She knew the weather in California would be rainy and dull. She never wanted to go back. She never wanted to be found. She wanted to make a new life for herself. She sighed, putting a spoon full of Cheerios in her mouth.

She trusted too easily. She didn't understand how she could still easily give people the benefit of the doubt. She didn't know why but she wanted to stay suddenly. She wanted to stay in Albuquerque with Troy. She forgot how nice it was to have somebody on your side no matter what.

Troy grumbled as he walked into the kitchen. His hair was messed up and he looked tired. "Good Morning." Gabriella said with a small smirk.

He groaned and walked to the fridge. "It feels like little tiny people are using my brain for a trampoline."

Gabriella giggled eating another spoonful. "Not a drinker, huh?"

"No, not really. Only on special occasions and those don't happen often." He opened the fridge and stuck his head inside. He grabbed the milk and brought it over to the counter. She watched as he did the same thing that she did less than five minutes ago. He put the milk back and took a seat with his coffee and his cereal. "How are you feeling?"

"I have a little headache but I'm good now. I needed some sugar I guess." She said with a shrug.

"That's good. Do you remember how we got here last night?"

She shook her head. "Not a clue." She frowned. "I hope neither of us drove."

"I guess we'll have to find out." He took a bite of his cereal.

"Looks like it's going to rain." She said with a soft sigh. "I hate driving in the rain."

He looked up. "You can wait out the rain, here, if you'd like."

She gave him a soft smile. "If I stay any longer, I'm going to have to be paying you rent."

Troy rolled his eyes. "You don't owe me anything. I promise." She gave him a soft smile and took a sip of her coffee. "Maybe we can go grocery shopping, we can get you some things."

She sighed, shaking her head. "Oh Troy."

* * *

Troy and Gabriella got dressed for the day after breakfast and a shower each. They got into Gabriella's car because Troy's truck was still at the restaurant, they assumed. She drove them to the store. Troy grabbed a cart and waited for Gabriella near the entrance. He smiled to himself when he felt her hand on his bicep.

They walked in and he headed towards the produce. "You can pick anything. Whatever you want to eat during the day and for dinner."

"I want to make fruit salad. That sounds really good." She murmured aloud. "Do you have any allergies or anything?"

"Nope." Troy replied. She nodded and walked away. He smiled fondly, watching as she walked around shopping for fruits and vegetables.

She waved him over after a couple of minutes putting items into their cart. She attached herself to his elbow again as they went on. He threw a couple of things in the cart but mainly let her pick out the food. He paid and loaded the groceries into her car. She drove over to the restaurant and they picked up the truck. She followed Troy back to the apartment.

After taking the groceries in and putting them away. They collapsed on the couch. Gabriella fell over, resting her body on his. He moved her curls out of her face, stroking them back as they lay awkwardly on the couch. "Who knew shopping could be so exhausting?"

"I think it's the hangover."

She laughed a little. "Probably." She nuzzled her face into his stomach before resting her hands between her legs.

"If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?"

She furrowed her eyebrows, thinking about his random question. "I'd probably be a pilot. That would be a fun job. I wouldn't pass the eye exam though. I'm getting blind." She sighed. "Actually I'd pick something that wasn't so stressful."

"I'd be a physical therapist. I didn't have enough money to get through college. I took a couple of classes though. I felt like I was wasting money on things I learned in high school."

"Well you can go back now." She said optimistically.

"I'm too old. I'd rather just stick to the job that I'm good at and I know that can pay the bills." He said, stroking her hair again. "How many kids do you want?"

"Kids? Oh god. In my old life I wanted at least two. I'm not so sure I want kids anymore."

Troy frowned. "Why do you say that?"

She sighed, closing her eyes. "I don't want what happened to me to happen to them."

"You can use your experience to help them." He reminded her. "I know where you're coming from. I don't want to have kids then die like my parents did. They would have nobody. At least I had my grandma."

"How many do you want?"

"Four." He said with a small smile. "Maybe because I was so lonely growing up, I want a house full of kids to raise." He always imagined a house full of kids, what surprised him was a certain brunette sitting beside him in his vision.

* * *

**Happy Thursday. tomorrow is Valentines day anddddddd I am going to go to school then do nothing. Lol. I hope all of your significant others and you have a wonderful time doing whatever you are going to do. as always, don'tforgettoreview!**


	5. Chapter 5

Gabriella was gently woken up by a soft shaking. She sat up, covering her mouth to yawn. She looked over at an apologetic looking Troy. "I didn't want to wake you but I really have to pee."

She giggled. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep." She said, curling up where Troy was sitting after he got up.

"I didn't mind." He said on his way to the bathroom.

She leaned her head against the couch, letting her eyes close again. She didn't know why she was so tired. She felt the most relaxed as she had in a long time. She still felt him stroking her hair subconsciously. She wanted him to do it when he got back. She heard his bedroom door close but his footsteps went towards the kitchen rather then the couch.

She opened her eyes, peering over the couch into the kitchen. "What do you usually do on weekends?"

Troy shrugged. "Not much. Laze around and watch TV mostly. I visit my grandma and my parents sometimes. Church on Sundays."

She smiled. "I didn't expect to hear that from you."

"What church?" He said with a small smile, walking back to her with two glasses of water. "I'm a sinner but I would like to go to heaven."

"Maybe I'll go to church with you. I lived in Los Angeles for the past five years. I could use some religious cleansing." She scooted over so he could have his spot back.

Troy chuckled, taking back his seat, handing her the water. "They're good people, they're not yuppies."

"Yuppies?" She said with a small smirk. He narrowed his eyes at her poking fun at him. She giggled and drank her water innocently. "Tell me more about these non-yuppies."

He rolled his eyes. "I get invited to all kinds of events but I can't make it to most of them because I have work. Others I just don't want to go to. Is that bad?" He asked, wincing slightly.

She laughed. "No. You're a grown man, you can do whatever the hell you want."

"What's Los Angeles like?"

"Busy, smoggy, full of people, full of traffic…Some parts are nicer than others. These people want everything to be beautiful and every one to be just as beautiful as well." She explained. "It got old after a while."

"I bet." He agreed. "Where did you live before there?"

"Moved around a lot. Mom was always traveling for work. Dad was so in love he went wherever she did. They dragged me along. Our last stop was San Francisco. Then she left and me and dad stayed. Dad got remarried and moved up north to Wine country and I stayed with my friend to finish high school. We went off to college together and that was that."

"Do you still talk to your friend?" Troy asked hesitantly. She shook her head. "You miss her?"

"Sometimes." She gave him a small smile. "We grew apart. It was bound to happen."

He nodded. Gabriella leaned her head against his shoulder. "I know what you mean." She stroked his arm lightly with the tips of her fingers. She smiled as he hesitantly pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

* * *

Troy woke up with his arms wrapped around a sleeping Gabriella. He checked the time and it was way earlier than he thought. He slowly removed his arms and walked into the kitchen. He started coffee and decided to make them nice breakfast. He decided to attempt French toast.

It would be easy enough he hoped. He started placed the first toast on the griddle before he heard footsteps come from his bedroom. "Why are you up so early?" Troy asked the tired woman, walking in the room.

"I smelled coffee." She said with a small smile. "I'll pour you a cup."

"Please."

"What are you making?"

"French toast?" He murmured. "Do you like French toast?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Did you know French toast is a German food?"

"What?" He asked with a small smile.

"French people don't eat French toast. Americans changed it from German toast to French toast after World War One." She said with a small laugh.

"How do you know that?" He asked skeptically.

She poured the coffee in two cups then walked to the fridge to get milk. "It's one of the only things I remember from my first history class in college." She poured a little milk in each cup.

"Sometimes I wish I went to college, for the experience." He said, reaching over for his cup. "Then I realize I probably would hate it."

"College does suck sometimes." She said, stirring the coffee before putting the milk back. She took a sip and let out a small sigh. "This is the most coffee I've drank in a long time."

"This is the most breakfast I've eaten…ever." He said with a small chuckle. "I've never been a breakfast kind of guy. I usually like breakfast for dinner, that's my favorite."

"Same. Every time I go somewhere that has breakfast 24/7 I always have breakfast." She shared, leaning against the counter. "Are we going to church today?"

"Maybe." He said with a shrug. "If you want to, we can."

"I want to." She confirmed. "When does it start?"

He looked at the clock in the kitchen. "It starts at nine, which gives us plenty of time to eat and get ready."

"Wonderful."

They sat down and ate, drinking their coffee, and learning new things about each other. Troy took a quick shower and got dressed while Gabriella was in. He cleaned up the kitchen while she got dressed. They hopped in the truck and Troy drove to his usual church. Gabriella linked their arms and let Troy lead her in. Troy said hello to the greeters and took a seat near the back.

* * *

Troy wrapped his arm around Gabriella as she leaned into him as they listened to the sermon. The preacher talked about how change is good. He spoke eloquently referring back to the bible. Every now and then he took a glance at the woman next to him. She was watching and listening intently, hanging on to every word.

Gabriella watched Troy as he spoke to a couple people from his church. She was just hanging on his arm. She knew these people didn't know much about him so she wasn't surprised when they called her his girlfriend. He didn't even get a chance to correct them, they just continued to gush about how great it was to reaffirm their faith together. The women invited them to stay for the second sermon but Troy politely declined.

Once they got back in the truck, Troy sighed. "They would have never stopped talking. I'm sure of it."

"They're fond of you, even if you don't speak much." Gabriella noticed.

"They just knew me since I was a kid. I'd come to church with my grandma sometimes. They knew her." Troy explained. "They're a little crazy but who isn't."

"I don't know a single person who isn't crazy." She said, leaning back against the seat.

"You up for lunch?"

She shook her head. "I'm still full from breakfast to be honest."

"Me too." He said. "Is there anything you want to do?"

"I think we need to take a trip somewhere to get you reacquainted with technology."

Troy sighed. "What are you talking about? I have a cell phone"

"You have a dinosaur phone." Gabriella corrected. "There are so many better options. Don't get me started on the internet."

"I have cable, I don't need the internet."

"That is what you think." She said. "I'm going to introduce you to social networking."

"Sounds Horrible."

Gabriella giggled. "You'll be fine."

"I'm not too sure, but I'm trusting you, Gabriella."

"Good. Let's get started!" She said excitedly.

* * *

Troy drove them to the nearest electronics store. Troy said he'd been there once or twice to buy his television. Gabriella led him to the first thing he needed. Cell Phones. He looked through all of them. "I don't even know where to start."

"Let's start by getting rid of your old phone." Gabriella said. "Excuse me." She called out to a worker. "We're going to need a little help."

"What can I help you with?" The worker asked.

"He needs to get rid of his dinosaur phone and get a new phone." She explained. "He's going to need a lot of new technology."

Troy looked at the phones. "What is the difference between this phone and that one?"

"This is an iPhone." Gabriella said. Troy just looked more confused. "We're going to need a lot of help."

Troy felt like his head was spinning with all this technological terminology. Gabriella and Barry, the person helping them, were throwing out words Troy had never heard of before. He sure hoped Gabriella knew what she was talking about or else he'd be stuck with something he didn't know how to use. He scratched his head trying to keep up. Gabriella already got him the newest iPhone and promised to teach him how to use it. They were on to computers. Troy had to decide between a laptop and a desktop.

"What do you think, Troy?" Gabriella asked.

"I think that my brain hurts. Maybe we can get one of each?"

Gabriella sighed. "I'd kill to be you right now Troy Bolton." She said, squeezing his arm. "I'll pick out good ones for you."

"Good. Maybe I should get you a phone." Troy suggested.

"What?" She asked, looking over at him.

Troy shrugged. "For when you leave. We can always be in touch."

She sighed. "Troy."

"I'll let you get whatever phone you want?" He bribed.

She groaned. "Don't do this to me Troy."

"Fine, then I'll get you one just like mine." He said, with a shrug. "Berry, can we add another phone and number to my plan?"

"Sure can. Did you decide which one you wanted?" Barry asked, mentioning the computers.

Troy turned to Gabriella. "Both." She said. "One of each." She rubbed her temples. "We need to talk about the internet."

"Tell me what TV provider you have and we can find a good deal for you." Barry said with a wide grin.

Troy wrapped his arm around Gabriella, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Let's go." Troy murmured.

After Troy paid, Barry helped them load up Troy's truck. Troy drove back to his apartment and they carried everything up to their apartment. Troy set the computers by the wall for the moment. Troy and Gabriella took a seat on the couch and opened their new phones.

"I had one of these before I left so I will teach you how to use it." Gabriella said, peeling the plastic off her phone. She turned it on then showed Troy how to turn his on. "First we have to charge it."

"Alright." Troy said wearily. "The cable guy is coming Tuesday. Will you be here to let him in while I'm at work?"

"Yep." Gabriella nodded.

"I think we're going to have to wait to set up the computer."

"How come?" She asked, plugging their phones in.

"I don't have any more money for a desk." Troy said with a chuckle.

* * *

**So i forgot it was monday. It just feels like a very long sunday. I'll post something else later in the week, probably wednesday. y'all are awesome as always. dontforgettoreview!**


	6. Chapter 6

Gabriella sent Troy off to work the next morning with a packed lunch. She decided to clean up the house a little bit before she played with her new phone. She programmed Troy's phone number and home phone. She put her dad's number in and sighed. She had three measly numbers and she only needed Troy's.

She decided to give her father another try. She waited until somebody picked up. "Steve Montez."

"Hi daddy." She said softly.

"Gabriella? Thank god. You had me worried sick."

Gabriella sighed. "Yeah, it's me. I'm sorry I worried you. Last time we talked I had rude and I'm sorry. I've had a hard couple of weeks. Everything with Michael just had me messed up."

"I'm the one that should be sorry. I didn't listen." He said with a soft sigh.

"Have you talked to Michael?"

"Yes, I told him I hadn't heard from you yet." Her father said. "What did that man do to you, Gabriella?"

"Nothing good. What did he say?"

"He said he needed to find you." Mr. Montez said. "Gabriella has he ever threatened your life?"

"Dad…" She sighed. "He used to hit me. He said he'd kill me if I ever left. I hope you understand why I can never go back. I've found a place where I am safe."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"The same reason I didn't tell any body. Don't talk to him anymore, please. Don't give him my number. Don't let him manipulate you, dad. I'm trusting you dad."

"I'll protect you, baby. I promise."

"Thank you. Call me anytime." She said softly.

"I love you Gabriella, take care."

"You too." Gabriella said, hanging up. She sighed to herself, feeling better. She curled up on the couch and closed her eyes. She felt lonely, she wanted Troy to be home already. She took a breath and turned on the TV hoping to kill time.

She popped up when the door opened a couple hours later. "Hey." Troy said, closing the door behind him.

"Thank god you're home!" She said, getting up. She wrapped her arms around him tightly.

Troy frowned. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah." She breathed out, hugging him tighter. "I was just lonely."

"I'm home now." Troy said, hugging her back. "I hope you know that I just got you all dirty."

"I don't care." She said, resting her head against his chest. He smelled like dirt but she didn't mind. She was glad that he was home. She wanted to make him dinner and tell him about her conversation with her dad. The longer she stayed, the longer she wanted to stay. She closed her eyes, sighing in content.

* * *

Troy was helping Gabriella wash dishes after she insisted on helping him. She cooked so he thought he would clean but she refused. There wasn't much to clean but it went faster with the two of them. Once they dried their hands they took a seat on the couch together. They were in their pajamas with a blanket wrapped around them. He enjoyed her company, he was starting to get the feeling she was enjoying his too.

"I called my dad today." She said softly.

"What did he say?" Troy asked, drawing shapes on her shoulder.

"Not much. I mostly talked. I told him about what happened. I told him that if Michael ever went to him to watch out. I don't want him to get hurt because of me." Gabriella shook her head. "I let him keep my number hopefully he doesn't do something stupid with it."

"It's not your fault what Michael did." Troy said softly. "You are a strong woman. Whatever Michael does is his fault, okay? You didn't do anything to deserve to be treated the way you did."

Gabriella just sighed. "I feel like I'll never be comfortable."

"You'll always be safe with me, Gabriella." He promised. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You'll be okay."

"Troy?" She asked after a minute.

"Yeah?"

"Would you think I was using you if I stayed?"

"Not for a minute."

"I don't want to be anywhere else." She said softly. "I don't want to run anymore."

"We'll find you a place once we get my computer up and running, okay?"

"I'm going to get a job." She said, looking up at him.

Troy stroked her hair gently. "I need you to make sure that you're okay before you do that, Gabriella."

"I will." She said softly.

"Once you get okay then you can get a house and a job. You'll always have me."

"Do you think I could stay with you?"

"Of course."

She leaned against him again. "I don't know what I can do to make it up to you, what you're doing for me."

"You already are." Troy said softly. "I am so happy you're staying."

"Me too." She said, sitting up. She pressed a kiss to his cheek before leaning into him again.

Troy smiled to himself, resting his head on top of hers. He stroked her shoulder with his fingertips. They got comfortable as they got into the movie. The next time they got up and moved, they were going to bed. They shared Troy's double. His arms wrapped protectively around her as they faded into sleep.

* * *

Gabriella thanked the cable guy who set up the internet in Troy's apartment. She closed the door behind him and decided to set up his laptop for him so he could use it when he got home. She pulled it out of the box and plugged it in. She fired it up and walked into the kitchen, leaving it at the kitchen table. She poured herself a glass of water and walked back.

She got comfortable in the chair she was sitting in and worked on his laptop. She missed her computer back in California. It was about the only thing she missed back there. It had everything. She left it like she left many other things. She left pretty much everything except her clothes. She chucked her phone out the window of her car about 200 miles away from LA. She wasn't so sure she'd ever see anything in that apartment again.

She'd been so concentrated on getting reacquainted with the internet she hadn't heard the door open. She was reading some random Yahoo article when she looked up quickly. She jumped up when she saw him watching her.

Troy laughed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to do that. You just look so cute concentrated. What are you up to?"

"I've been on this thing for hours." She said, blinking her eyes. "God it was two o'clock an hour ago."

Troy chuckled. "How about you take a break from the computer?"

"I want to show you how to work it!" She said excitedly.

"After I get out of the shower." Troy promised.

She smiled and watched him walk away. She turned back to the computer, finishing her article before she got up, stretching out her legs. She refilled her glass of water and took a drink. She looked around in the fridge, deciding what to make for dinner. Troy walked out of his bedroom freshly showered. He took a seat at the table in front of the laptop.

"Where do I even start?"

"You seriously know nothing about computers?"

"the last time I used a computer was right after high school." Troy said, watching her walk over to him.

She took a seat on his lap. "Okay, this is how we get started."

"The internet has changed in the last five years." Troy mumbled, watching her hands fly over the keyboard.

"I think we should make you a Facebook."

Troy looked at her skeptically. "Do you have a Facebook?"

"Yes." She said slowly. "I should check mine."

Troy rubbed her knee gently. "If you want. I don't know what the point of Facebook is. I don't have any friends."

"It's a great way to see who's gotten fat after high school ended." Gabriella said with a shrug. "Oh, and it has games."

"So it's basically made for old women?" Troy said, raising his eyebrows. Gabriella burst out laughing, shaking her head.

* * *

Troy leaned into the computer, trying to figure out how to set his Facebook to private. Gabriella was making them something for dinner, leaving him alone with the computer. He'd already asked her a million questions about this stupid social networking. They took a couple pictures on his webcam, putting them up. Gabriella looked like a whole different person from the girl he'd meet less than a week ago.

"Gabi, what's a twitter?" Troy asked. He heard Gabi burst out in giggles in the kitchen. "What?" He asked, looking over to her.

She walked over to him. "Twitter is another social network. It's basically like Facebook without the games and all the extra crap." She put her arm around his neck and leaned down. "I don't like Gabi."

Troy looked over at her, confused. "Why not?"

"Old life." She said softly.

"I'll find you another nickname then." He said with a shrug. "How do you make it private?"

Gabriella stood behind him, her arms over both his shoulders. She rested her chin on the top of his head while her fingers worked the computer. "Done."

"I feel like an old man. I know nothing about this shit."

"You'll learn." She got up, rubbing the top of his head. "Let me finish dinner then I'll help you some more."

"I'm going to look you up." Troy said, looking up at Gabriella.

"Oh, god. Beware of the ugly pictures." She said walking back to the kitchen.

Troy smiled. "Can't wait to see those." He turned back to the computer and typed Gabriella's name into the computer. His eyes wondered across the page until they stopped at a picture of Gabriella. She was looking at the camera. Her hair was straight her smile was bright. He clicked on the link to her page. He clicked on more photos. He smiled as he got a closer look at the picture. He clicked on the next picture. "Wow."

"What?" Gabriella asked.

"Michael looks different from what I imagined." Troy said, looking at the picture of Gabriella.

"Oh." She sighed. "Yeah."

Troy studied the picture of Gabriella and Michael. She looked different from the first picture. Her smile was tight lipped. Her head was against his shoulder. It looked like they were at a party or some type of gathering. Michael looked like a stand up guy. He was kind of frat-boyish. He looked strong, well put together. Troy saw his crazy eyes instantly.

"Was he a frat boy?"

"No. He was more introverted than he looked. Everyone said he looked like one though." Gabriella said. "Dinner is almost done."

Troy clicked off of the picture, going back to her main page. He looked over her information. "In a relationship with Michael Palmdale." He said quietly to himself. He scrolled down to look at all the posts. "Hey Brie, A Taylor posted on your thing yesterday. She said she tried to call you. She has important news to tell you."

Gabriella turned to look at him. Their eyes met and she smiled. "I like Brie."

* * *

**lol late as usual. Dontforgettoreview.**


	7. Chapter 7

Gabriella was sitting with Troy for breakfast the next morning. Troy had gotten the hang on Facebook last night and he wanted her to teach him how to use twitter today. She watched Troy eat his cereal carefully. He licked his lips as milk dribbled out of his mouth. She giggled quietly, she looked away when his head shot over to her.

"What?"

"Nothing." She said with a small grin.

"Seriously, what?"

She giggled. "Nothing." Her grin, teasing.

He narrowed his eyes at her playfully. "Fine."

"You're cute."

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "I'm… cute?" She nodded and he smirked.

"What?"

"What, what?"

She giggled. "Nothing."

Troy shook his head. He got up, putting his bowl into the sink. "I guess I should get going."

"Do you know what time you're supposed to be home?" She asked, getting up as well.

"Not sure. I'll probably get home a little early. Looks like it's going to storm tonight." Troy said, glancing out the window.

"I'll make something good for dinner then. I'm going to look online for a job too." She said, rinsing the bowls out. "Have a good day at work."

"Good luck on your job hunt." Troy said, squeezing her shoulder before grabbing his keys.

She watched him walk out of the door and smiled to herself. Gabriella got started on chores for the day. She didn't has much to do since she had been cleaning Troy's apartment little by little. She looked on the internet for a job but nothing peaked her interest. She did the dishes and the laundry and laid on the couch to watch Ellen DeGeneres. After Ellen was over, she started gathering ingredients for dinner. She was making tacos tonight.

She hummed to herself as she made her way around the kitchen. She stopped when she heard her phone ringing. She glanced at her phone not recognizing the number. "Hello?"

She heard breathing at the other end. "Gabi." She tensed up, closing her eyes. "Gabi, please. Come back."

"Michael." She breathed out slowly. "How did you get this number?"

"It doesn't matter. I need you to come back home. I miss you."

"I'm not going back to California, Michael." She wrapped her free arm around herself. "I can't be with you anymore." She walked towards the door to lock it. Right when she touched the doorknob it opened, causing her to jump and drop her phone. "Please don't hurt me." She panted out, in a ball on the floor.

* * *

"Sh, it's just me, Brie. It's Troy." Troy said softly, rocking her on the floor. They'd been like this since he'd gotten home twenty minutes ago. She was terrified and tearful on the floor. He did the only thing he could think of. He got down behind her and let her cry, consoling her softly.

He glanced down at her shattered phone with a dark screen. He could guess what spooked her so badly. "Don't hurt me, don't hurt me." She said softly.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Brie." Troy said softly. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"He found me." She said softly, looking up at him.

"He didn't find you, Brie. He's not here. He's never going to touch you again." Troy said, stroking her hair out of her face.

"He's going to find me. I'm not safe here." She said, sniffling. "Troy, he's going to kill me."

Troy rubbed her back slowly. "He's not going to hurt you, Brie. I promise. If he ever touches you again, I break both of his arms." She let out a small laugh. "Why are you laughing at me? I can take him."

She giggled even more, putting her face in his chest. "I never thought you were a fighter."

He smiled shyly. "I have my moments."

"Don't we all." She breathed out. "I was going to make tacos."

"Don't sorry about it Brie. I'll make dinner and I'll make you something warm to drink. You just relax on the couch." Troy got up and helped her to her feet. He picked her up and she squealed in surprise. He set her on the couch. He rested her forehead on hers as he slid his arms out from under her. They stared at each other for a minute before Troys' thoughts rushed back to him. "Tacos." He said softly, pulling away.

"What?" She asked, watching him back away.

"I have to make tacos." He said, with an embarrassed smile. He covered her up with the blanket on the couch and moved into the kitchen. He looked at all the ingredients she set out. He made her a drink first before he started dinner.

When dinner was half way though, she joined him in the kitchen. She put her mug in the sink and watched him cook. "I can take it from here. You can take a shower."

"Are you saying that I stink?" He asked with a small smirk.

She shook her head. "No, I know you like your cleanliness."

"You're right and I'm going to take you up on that offer." He said, handing her the wooden spoon he was using. "Thank you."

"No, thank you." She said softly. She leaned up, kissing his cheek gently.

Troy smiled on his way to his room. He got in the shower, working on his hair first. He stepped out, towel drying. Troy got dressed and headed back into the kitchen. He watched her move around the kitchen. "Are you feeling a little better?" Troy asked softly.

"Yes, thank you." She said, glancing back at him. "Dinner's almost ready."

* * *

Gabriella looked down at her empty plate and sighed. She was lost in her thoughts. She was truly conflicted. She wanted nothing to do with Michael but at the same time, she wanted to help him. She wanted to help him get better. She wanted him to see a therapist, let everything he was holding in, out.

"You okay?" Troy asked.

She nodded her head, looking up at him. "For the most part, yeah."

"There's something on your mind."

"I know this sounds crazy but…" She sighed. "I want to help him."

"Like Rehab?" Troy asked, taking a drink of his water.

"Something." She said quietly. "I don't know."

"If you want to help him, Brie. You're going to have to face him."

She licked her lips. "I know. I just need to sleep on it."

"We'll work on getting you a new phone too. Who knew something so expensive could be so cheap?"

Gabriella laughed quietly. "Can we talk about everything else tonight?"

"Of course. Let's get started with dishes." Troy said, standing up. She got up after him and followed him to the sink. "Did you find anything job related?"

"Nada." She said, putting her plate in the sink. She grabbed Tupperware and started putting dinner away.

They sat on the couch after they were finished cleaning up. Gabriella had her head rested against his chest. Troy stroked her hair back slowly as they looked at the blank screen on the TV. "Who was your first kiss?" Gabriella asked him quietly.

"Brittney Nelson, second grade. What about you?"

"Jake something fourth grade." She said with a small laugh. "He was the grossest kid but he had the biggest crush on me."

"She just ran up and grabbed my face and kissed me on the first day of school." Troy said laughing. "We never talked about it and I never told anybody until you."

"Really?" She asked, looking up at him. He nodded. "Who was your first?"

"Marissa Cross. She was one of my friends older sisters. It was awkward."

"My first time was not a fun time either."

"Brie, I know you loved him but were you in love with Michael?" He asked softly.

She stared at the TV, biting her lip. "I thought we were talking about everything else."

Troy laughed quietly. "I just wanted to know how you knew if you were."

"I wasn't." She said quietly. "I could have been but I wasn't."

* * *

Troy looked over at a sleeping Gabriella and continued to stroke her hair. She'd been sleeping for a little over an hour now and he didn't want to get up. He shifted slightly, so he could put his leg up next to her. She twisted slightly, readjusting her head on his chest. He kissed the top of her head, closing his eyes.

Gabriella shifted again, making him open his eyes. "Troy?" Her voice asked tiredly.

"Mmm, yeah?" He asked, sitting up.

She sat up with him. "Did I fall asleep?"

"Yeah, you want to head off to bed?" He asked softly.

She nodded her head. Troy shifted his arms under her, lifting her as he rose to his feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck and watched his face as he carried her into the bedroom. She brushed his hair back behind his ear. "You're being cute again."

Troy chuckled. "I can't help it."

"Apparently." She said, holding onto him as he laid her down.

"Gabriella." He said softly.

"Sh." She covered his lips with her finger. She pulled him down, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

Troy's eyes shut instantly. He reveled in the feeling of her lips. He wanted to kiss her since he saw her in her car. They'd come a long way in just a week. When she pulled away he felt like he couldn't breathe. She was still hanging on his neck. His eyes opened slowly.

"Please don't hate me." She said worriedly.

His eyebrows rose in confusion. "What?"

"Don't hate me."

"Why would I hate you?"

She breathed out. "Because I'm fucked up."

"You're not Brie. Go to sleep, okay?"

"Don't leave."

"I'm not going anywhere." Troy assured, kissing her forehead.

She released his neck and watched him walk around the bed. He crawled under the covers and turned off his lamp. She wrapped her arms around his middle. He moved her hair to the side, playing with it as he watched her eyelids droop. She snuggled into him.

"Troy?"

"Yeah?"

Her moved her head up but never opened to look at him directly. "Will you love me the right way?" She mumbled tiredly.

"I already do." Troy said softly.

* * *

**So has anybody else thought of a great story line right before you go to sleep then when you try to recall it, you can remember nothing? Happens to me all the time. Don'tforgettoreview.**


	8. Chapter 8

Troy felt Gabriella move against him as they both woke up. He kept his eyes shut and Gabriella wrapped her arms around him tightly. Troy moved his arms around her waist as best he could. She pressed her fingers into his back, stroking them up and down his back. He felt a shiver run up his back.

"I know you're awake." She said softly.

"I'm tired." He said with a small smile.

"I don't want to get up."

"Me either." He agreed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I have to go to work."

She pouted slightly. "You always work."

"I'm putting in for time off." He said, moving her hair back to get a good look at her face. "I just need to keep a steady income until the check clears."

Gabriella nodded. "I know, I understand. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry. Trust me, I'd rather be at home with you." He leaned his head on hers.

She ran her fingers up and down his back again slowly. "Troy?"

"Hm?" He asked, his eyes opening. He pulled back slightly to look at her face.

She leaned up, kissing his bottom lip lightly. "We should get started on breakfast."

He smiled, moving one hand to her neck to keep her face close to his. He brushed his lips against hers lightly. "In a minute." He mumbled against her lips.

She pulled away, covering his lips with her fingers. "Breakfast." She reminded him with a small teasing smile. She rolled off his bed, glancing back at him with a small smile. He watched her leave to the restroom and laid back with a small smile on his face.

He decided to roll out of his bed even though he didn't want to. He walked into the kitchen and looked through the fridge to see what they had for breakfast. He didn't really want something big. He popped his lips when he decided on cereal. He brought the box down. He jumped when he felt cold hands on his chest.

"Are my hands cold?"

"Very." He chuckled, turning around.

"Cereal today?" She asked, taking the box out of his hands.

"For me. I don't want to eat something big today. Do you want cereal today?"

"Sure." She said, opening the fridge.

He pulled down two bowls from the cupboard and took a seat at the table. He poured the cereal in the two bowls before returning the box to its rightful place. He grabbed spoons while Gabriella poured the milk. He filled two cups with the freshly made coffee. The pot was set on a timer and was ready by the time he got up in the morning. They sat and ate talking about the days coming up. Nothing very important was going to happen. Troy had to work the next day but this weekend he'd promise to take her out again. This time for a real date and he could not wait.

* * *

Gabriella was bored after sitting at home for so long. It was Friday and Troy was at work. She got dressed and went down to her car. She brought up some stuff that was left in there, deciding she'd go get a car wash. She drove around aimlessly until she spotted one. She sat inside the small building while she watched the men drying off her car.

She was sitting next to a woman who was talking rather loudly on her cell phone. She was dressed nicely in a woman's pant suit. Gabriella studied her for a minute. She figured that is what she would look life if she took advantage if her 3.5 GPA in high school. She'd be a lawyer.

The blonde woman pressed her finger against the screen of her phone angrily. She huffed out. "People seriously cannot follow simple direction. Go get a roll of cerulean blue fabric. Not Royal blue… Not fucking Indigo. Cerulean." The woman suddenly turned to Gabriella. "You know what I mean?"

Gabriella shrugged, flustered by sudden confrontation. "I- I don't…"

She laughed quietly. "Sorry. I don't mean to scare you. I'm just… I don't know. I should have drank that second cup of coffee. My husband doesn't even talk to me until two cups." She flipped her hair back. "You from around here?"

Gabriella shook her head. "No. I'm from California. Los Angeles. I just… moved here. I'm staying with a friend."

She gasped. "I love Los Angeles! I bet this rinky dink town is so boring compared to LA!"

She smiled slightly. "I actually like Albuquerque better."

"I go to LA for business."

"What do you do?"

"I'm an entrepreneur. I own the Albuquerque East Theatre. I just started my own dress line. I'm hoping to expand soon but it's hard to find somebody competent to work for me." She rolled her eyes. "My husband is a Chef. He owns that little Italian place across town."

"I've been there! It's amazing." Gabriella said with a fond smile. She giggled at the memories of her hangover after. "They have a great wine selection."

"I'll let him know. He's been so insecure about it since he opened up. I keep assuring him he has nothing to worry about." She looked down at her ringing phone and declined the call. "People. What do you do?"

Gabriella licked her lips. She wasn't sure how to answer that. "Well, I don't have a job right now. I've only been here for about two weeks now. Back in California, I worked at Disneyland. I was Princess Jasmine."

"I always wanted to do that! I wanted to be Cinderella. That's why I went blonde." She said.

"Shar, your car is ready."

The blonde looked over at the kid. "Thanks Rocket Man." She stood up, opening her purse. She pulled out her business card. "If you're looking to do a couple of shows, we're always in need of actors. I'm Sharpay Evans-Baylor, by the way."

"Gabriella." She said, taking the card. "Montez. I'll look into it. Thank you Sharpay."

Sharpay smiled. "Tickets for Bye Bye Birdie go on sale Tuesday! It's going to be a great show!" She waved as she walked out.

* * *

Troy walked into the apartment with a surprise for Gabriella. He tried to open the door but it was locked. He frowned to himself, unlocking the door. He looked around for Gabriella but she was gone. His stomach sank with panic just before he saw a yellow note on the fridge. He glanced over it.

"If you're reading this, I went out for the day and I am not back yet. I promise I am coming back soon. Don't worry. Love, your Brie." He read to himself.

His shoulders fell. He guessed he'd just have to wait for her to come back. He headed for his shower, taking his time. Once he got out, he looked around the apartment quickly and she still wasn't back. He had started on dinner when the door opened. He turned around quickly.

"Hey." She said, holding a bag.

"Hey, I got your note. I got home about 20 minutes ago." He said, watching her place her bag on the table. "Where'd you go?"

"First, I went to get a car wash. I met this really… interesting girl there. Her name is Sharpay."

"Evans?" He asked with a small quick of his eyebrow.

"Yeah! You know her?"

Troy nodded. "Went to high school with her… small town and all."

Gabriella smiled. "Well, we were talking as our cars were getting washed. We got finished at the same time and decided to go out for a coffee. We talked a little bit more and she asked if I could try on some of her clothes. She said I have an interesting figure…. I don't know what she meant by interesting but I think it was a compliment."

Troy chuckled, checking on the food he was preparing. "I'm sure it was."

"Anyway we went down to her studio and I tried a couple things on for her. She showed me a couple of designs and she gave me some free clothes. We're supposed to go to lunch after church on Sunday, she said you could come." Gabriella said with a smile.

"She knows you're staying with me?"

Gabriella shook her head. "She never asked. I said I was just staying with a friend but I don't think she'll mind if you come. I want you to come."

Troy gave her a small smile. "Of course I'll come. Come keep an eye on this. I have to get something."

"Okay." Gabriella walked to the stove as Troy slipped passed her. Troy grabbed the present for her and walked it into the kitchen. "What's that?" She asked, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye.

"I picked up something for you on the way home." He said, standing in front of her. "I fixed your phone."

He held out her phone to her. "Thank you, Troy." She wrapped her arms around him.

"Anything for you." He promised, moving her hair from her face. "You're going to help me pick out a desk tonight. I got paid earlier today."

She nodded. "Okay." He licked his lips. Gabriella smiled up at him, putting her hands on both sides of his face, kissing him softly.

* * *

Gabriella left her hair in curls as she got ready for her date with Troy. He was already ready, he was just waiting on her. She was wearing one of the new dresses Sharpay had given her. It fit her body like a glove. It was tight in all the right places. She just hoped Troy would like it.

She shook her hair out before putting some lipstick on. She popped her lips before walking out to the living room where Troy was waiting. She peeked around the corner and saw him watching TV. She walked over to him and immediately caught his attention. A smile formed on his face as he rose to get a good look.

"Wow." He breathed out. "You look amazing."

She smiled. "Do you think it looks okay?"

"Nobody will be able to take their eyes off you." He promised, taking her hand. He kissed the top of it. "Are you ready to go?"

She nodded, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "Ready."

He laced his fingers between hers and lead her out of the door. He escorted her to his truck and helped her in. He got in and started up the truck. "First on our agenda is that we are going to take a walk through the Albuquerque Rose Garden."

Gabriella smiled. "Who knew you were so romantic?" She asked teasingly.

He shrugged with a small smile forming on his lips. "Then we are going to eat and then we're going to go star gazing. They say there is a meteor shower tonight."

She looked over at him, surprised. "Really? How lucky are we?"

Troy kissed her hand again. "I am the luckiest man because you are my good luck charm." He leaned over placing a small kiss on her lips. "Buckle up."

Brie buckled her seatbelt and sat back. Troy did the same, starting the ignition. He backed out and headed for the main road. He reached his free hand over to hold her hands which were resting on her lap. He stroked across the top of her hand with his thumb. She played with the radio, finding a station she liked they drove in comfortable silence.

Troy parked when he got to the small garden. It as a maze of roses of all colors. His grandma took him here often, it was her favorite place in Albuquerque. He slid out the truck and helped her out. He held her hand and he gasped when she saw the rows and rows of flowers.

"How did you even find this place?" She asked in awe as then took a couple steps in the park.

"My grandma's favorite place in the world." He said, squeezing her hand a little tighter.

She frowned slightly. "I wish I could have met your grandma. She sounds amazing. She sounds like the person I want to be."

"She wasn't perfect but she was a beautiful person." He murmured. "She would love you."

Brie smiled. "How do you know that?"

"She would love you because I love you." Gabriella stopped abruptly and looked up at him with an expression that was a mixture of scared and surprised. "Don't look at me like that. You are capable of being loved. I don't want you to say it back. I know you're not ready. I just want you to know how I feel about you." He smiled down at her. He kissed her forehead. "Come on, Let me show you Grandma's favorites."

* * *

**Don't forget to review!**


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